The Canadian government is refusing to comment on new allegations that its spy agency has been conducting economic surveillance on a Brazilian government ministry.

"[We do not] comment on foreign intelligence gathering activities,” said Lauri Sullivan, a spokesperson for the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC, the equivalent of the National Security Agency in the United States) when speaking with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). “Under the law, this organization cannot target Canadians.”

On Sunday, Brazilian television network TV Globo reported that the CSEC spied on e-mail and phone metadata collected from traffic to and from the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy. The network relied on documents shared by Glenn Greenwald, who received them as part of the massive trove of files leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

CSEC is also part of the "Five Eyes" intelligence sharing program between Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.

In light of the news, the Canadian ambassador to Brazil has been summoned (Google Translate) to the Foreign Ministry in Brasilia.

"This is unacceptable between countries that are supposed to be partners. We repudiate this cyber warfare," Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff wrote on Twitter on Monday.

However, the Globe and Mail, a major Canadian newspaper, spoke with a former high-ranking spy who dismissed the allegation, calling the documents a “wargame scenario.”

“There’s no smoking gun here,” said Ray Boisvert, until last year a deputy director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. "It’s again more little snippets and snapshots from the Snowden revelations; they actually mislead more than they inform."

Still, the paper added that the impact for the Great White North could be “grave”:

They come at a time when Brazil has become a top destination for Canadian exports, when a stream of delegations from the oil and gas industries are making pilgrimages to Rio de Janeiro to try to get a piece of the booming offshore oil industry, and when the Canadian government is eager to burnish ties with Brasilia. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird visited Brazil in August and spoke repeatedly about the country as a critical partner for Canadian business.

The country is Canada's 11th largest trading partner with $2.6 billion in Canadian exports to Brazil, including fertilizers, mineral fuels and oils, machinery, and paper, according to the department. Brazil was also Canada's seventh highest source of foreign direct investment in 2012, with nearly $16 billion in stocks.

35 Reader Comments

On Sunday, Brazilian television network TV Globo reported that the CSEC spied on e-mail and phone metadata collected from traffic to and from the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy. The network relied on documents shared by Glenn Greenwald, who received them as part of the massive trove of files leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

CSEC should focus on what matters more: stopping Geth infiltration on the Citadel.

The Canadian government is refusing to comment on new allegations that its spy agency has been conducting economic surveillance on a Brazilian government ministry.

"[We do] comment on foreign intelligence gathering activities,” said Lauri Sullivan, a spokesperson for the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC, the equivalent of the National Security Agency in the United States) when speaking with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). “Under the law, this organization cannot target Canadians.”

I think that should be [We do not] since the first paragraph says they aren't commenting.

The Canadian government is refusing to comment on new allegations that its spy agency has been conducting economic surveillance on a Brazilian government ministry.

"[We do] comment on foreign intelligence gathering activities,” said Lauri Sullivan, a spokesperson for the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC, the equivalent of the National Security Agency in the United States) when speaking with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). “Under the law, this organization cannot target Canadians.”

I think that should be [We do not] since the first paragraph says they aren't commenting.

I am not at all surprised CSEC is conducting industrial espionage in South America and I doubt that this is isolated to Brazil. A large number of Canadian mining companies have made huge investments in resource exploration an mining projects in Latin America. A CIDP report estimated that Canadian mining firms have generated over $19.5billion USD in revenue from the region in 2012. The CSEC revelations fit very well with the Conservative government's MO of industrial and economic expansion and it is well known that Canadian mining firms have a huge amount of influence in government policy.

Looks like our friends up north have picked up a few tricks from the NSA. I don't know whether I should be appalled that we've "inspired" them, amused that someone else is in the hotseat or confused that Brazil seems to think that everyone's reading their inbox nowadays.

I believe I speak for the majority of Canadians when I say that we do not condone the actions of CSEC, nor the current (in)action by the Canadian government. Most of us just want our double-doubles and to drive a Zamboni across Saskatchewan.

(that last line is a reference to Weird Al's song "Canadian Idiot" for those who don't know)

I believe I speak for the majority of Canadians when I say that we do not condone the actions of CSEC, nor the current (in)action by the Canadian government. Most of us just want our double-doubles and to drive a Zamboni across Saskatchewan.

(that last line is a reference to Weird Al's song "Canadian Idiot" for those who don't know)

I have largely lost faith in our government. In fact, they've largely remained silent about the whole NSA which is disappointing.

CSE and the NSA have been joined at the hip since CSE came into being, and before that when it was hidden under the National Research Council.

However it's not integrated into the government in such a way that it passes economic intelligence to Canadian companies the way the Chinese do. Department of National Defense was going to move into a building formerly owned by Nortel, but because the Chinese government and Huawei had it so thoroughly bugged that's probably off.

I believe I speak for the majority of Canadians when I say that we do not condone the actions of CSEC, nor the current (in)action by the Canadian government. Most of us just want our double-doubles and to drive a Zamboni across Saskatchewan.

(that last line is a reference to Weird Al's song "Canadian Idiot" for those who don't know)

You want my double double? You can pry it from my warm, dead hands! (Why warm? cos Tim Horton's coffee is magically enhanced to stay hot through out the year long Canadian winter. That's why!)

Can we please stop expressing surprise that spy agencies are spying on other nations? That's the whole point of their existence and every nation has done it forever.

Let's get outraged if the CSEC is spying on Canadians. We can't get outraged simply that spying exists.

Think harder.

There's more to spying on allies than the simplistic response, "everyone does it". It alienates your allies and loses good will and ultimately even affects the economics of the relationship in a negative way.

Think about how "friendly" your friends would be if they found out you were spying on them... It destroys trust, something Canada has worked long and hard to develop worldwide.

Spying on allies is a complete Fuckup from a foreign relations perspective.

Can we please stop expressing surprise that spy agencies are spying on other nations? That's the whole point of their existence and every nation has done it forever.

Let's get outraged if the CSEC is spying on Canadians. We can't get outraged simply that spying exists.

Think harder.

There's more to spying on allies than the simplistic response, "everyone does it". It alienates your allies and loses good will and ultimately even affects the economics of the relationship in a negative way.

Think about how "friendly" your friends would be if they found out you were spying on them... It destroys trust, something Canada has worked long and hard to develop worldwide.

Spying on allies is a complete Fuckup from a foreign relations perspective.

Hear Hear!

Another important universal aspects of 'trust', is, that it can take a very long time to establish, but can be destroyed in and instance, and once you break it, you might never get it back.

Can we please stop expressing surprise that spy agencies are spying on other nations? That's the whole point of their existence and every nation has done it forever.

Let's get outraged if the CSEC is spying on Canadians. We can't get outraged simply that spying exists.

Everybody lies that does not mean it's acceptable to lie.

Everybody has stolen some object of bigger or smaller importance once in their life, that does not mean it is acceptable.

Worse than that you seem to be confusing political or military espionage with commercial or industrial espionage. The last is far worse than the first cause it's espionage not to protect the citizens using government infrastructure in place supposedly for security to gain wealth to a few select corrupt suit monkeys.

So stop being a blind nationalist with catch phrases and think for a second or two.

Harper is disgusting, and his policies do not reflect the will of the majority of Canadians. He only got 39.6% of the popular vote, but managed to squeeze in because the centre-left vote was split between two parties. We have a truly fucked-up electoral system.

Looks like our friends up north have picked up a few tricks from the NSA. I don't know whether I should be appalled that we've "inspired" them, amused that someone else is in the hotseat or confused that Brazil seems to think that everyone's reading their inbox nowadays.

Sometimes Harper forget's he's Canadian - The guy is a terrible PM who would have us believe we're just another state of America.

Honestly at this point I would love to see all the info come out on how many countries are spying and on who (via the web of course, not old fashioned type of spying with implants). I am certain that a very large majority of nations are spying, those who blast others for spying either are 1. Trying to spy and having no success, or 2. Do not have the capability to spy (both are speculation on my part however) or 3. They are spying and getting info they want.

I am not shocked that the Canadians are spying (probably with help from the USA) simply because they are on our northern border, and the NSA would say that they do it to try and track any terrorist movement from the north.

Hell I would not be surprised if Mexico had a NSA supported spy setup now at this point.

Harper is disgusting, and his policies do not reflect the will of the majority of Canadians. He only got 39.6% of the popular vote, but managed to squeeze in because the centre-left vote was split between two parties. We have a truly fucked-up electoral system.

Chretien majorities were won with even less. It's an artifact of a first past the post system parliamentary system and the fact that we had 4 parties in Canada (NDP, Libs, Conservatives, Bloc) seriously competing. Get over it.

If you want to make your lying really obvious, lie about something that can easily be refuted.

Ray Boisvert, until last year a deputy director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. "It’s again more little snippets and snapshots from the Snowden revelations; they actually mislead more than they inform."

Wow, we already know these "little snippets and snapshots from the Snowden revelations" have been hugely revealing about things, many later confirmed as officially as facts, other confirmed by independent sources.

Just because you can spy on your neighbour doesn't mean that you should. And just because someone else revealed that you were, that doesn't make it their fault!

Prosecute those in the intelligence community who misled their overseersProsecute torturers and those who gave high-level clearance (especially Cheney)Drop any plans to prosecute SnowdenEnd imprisonment of honest whistleblowersHabeas corpus is good for everyoneAnd close down Guantanamo - it is a stain on the US's reputation

Edit: I know that the last set of statements are not really anything to do with Canada, but they are not totally off-topic, and sadly I feel that I need to to keep saying them....

I believe I speak for the majority of Canadians when I say that we do not condone the actions of CSEC, nor the current (in)action by the Canadian government. Most of us just want our double-doubles and to drive a Zamboni across Saskatchewan.

(that last line is a reference to Weird Al's song "Canadian Idiot" for those who don't know)

I have largely lost faith in our government. In fact, they've largely remained silent about the whole NSA which is disappointing.

Because CSEC is the lap dog of the NSA. They will do ANYTHING to "help". They've been getting a free pass because nobody is asking any questions about it.